Leinster v Salarysins

[Logorrhea]

Some of you really need to step away from the keyboards for a few hours.

[Oldschool]

In part the game was lost before the kickoff.
Wrong selection.
Soft penalties especially early on.
Poor decision making - We should have kicked out points or tried to.
Good decision by Saracens - They kicked everything even when they knew they had our number in mauls.
Elliot Daly's attempted DG just after half time said it all, they were mentally prepared to take any points on offer.
The scrum was the scrum and hard to see what we could have done about it. We and Ireland need to find a bruiser SR aka George Kruis.
Our strength in depth is not homogenous across every position.
Saracens did Andy Farrell a favour today hopefully he realises it.
Finally thanks to the Leinster players who came back from the dead and showed that they are still a team to be reckoned with.
Congrats to all the young blue bloods, ye all justified your selections.
The future is bright, the future is blue.

As I said before we need a blue clapper.

[Up Wexford]

Any time "good as the All Blacks" is mentioned in an Irish rugby context you can be sure a shitshow is coming down the tracks. A bit too soon for any clear analysis but Saracens couldn't believe their luck. 22-3 after an extraordinary first 40. A team that clicks will have nothing to worry about against that Saracens team. We had to keep it away from the tight 5 and when we had JGP-Sexton-Henrose- we clawed back in but when it went to Byrne-ROL-Ringrose it was going to take a wayward kick and some Larmour magic to get back.

[wixfjord]

I don’t remember anyone saying we were brilliant against Munster and Ulster tbh.

Hmmm...

People don’t seem very happy that we’ve made a Pro14 final and seem more concerned about Saracens the week after. I think the big thing for me is that we were outstanding in the air. In tough conditions and with the pressure on after last week and knowing that it was Munster’s big entry into the game we were absolutely brilliant. Other things need work but credit to everyone involved for getting the improvement there. The breakdown is one area that needs attention but we have James Ryan and possibly Furlong to come back in and help sort that. Ryan might also help the lineout a bit.

Besides that, we had you talking about how we talking about a poor performance was 'harsh'. You had Ronk talking about how it was 'exactly the performance we wanted', you had plenty of others banging on about 'too much negativity'.

Turned out, it wasn't negativity, just astute analysis that we weren't anywhere near the performance levels needed. That showed today.

[Dexter]

Really?
On here there was loads of crowing about how superior we were, how 'that was the performance we wanted' and not a lot of proper analysis of how we actually didn't play well in either of the three games.

In the media (which many on here seem to think are biased against us for some bizarre reason) we were described as a dynasty, possibly the best side in the world and pretty much anointed champions.

Our real level over the last three games was proven today. We just were 2-3 levels below where we needed to be because we got lulled into a false sense of security.

You seem determined to put the boot in against your team, who lost by 5 points against the defending champions after playing really poorly for half the game. Fair enough. But, it's nothing like Munster 09.
Fans didn't think we just had to turn up. We had a bad day at the worst possible time. It hurts to lose against such a shower of total %#@&s but that's life. Nobody believes we're the best side in the world and all that shite.

[paddyor]

Completely disagree. Scrum was the only reason we lost that game today. Fans were worried about playing Saracens. In no way comparable to Munster in 09.

See this yet again the blinkered nature of the Leinster rugby fan.

The scrum was not the 'only reason' we lost the game.

You can add the following to the reasons we lost the game:

- Giving away stupid penalties
- Making unforced errors from minute 1
- A scrumhalf who seems to go to pot when under proper pressure
- A lineout that we can't throw past two
- A back three that were totally uncomfortable under the high ball

We were massively bigged up both on here and in the media, with talk about how we were a dynasty, then got absolutely shafted by our major rivals in a Euro knockout.

So yes, it is very similar to Munster in '09.

The scrum was 9-12 points and I’ve no idea how many metres. Sure Mcgrath wasn’t good either(we’d have got one or two more penos for slowing if the ref didn’t put it down to him). But the lineout functioned however limited and the back 3 didn’t get much of a chance.

[RavenhillRaider]

I don't think any of the regular posters though it would be a walkover. Sure their seconds dispatched Exeter last week.

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

[Oldschool]

I don’t remember anyone saying we were brilliant against Munster and Ulster tbh.

Hmmm...

People don’t seem very happy that we’ve made a Pro14 final and seem more concerned about Saracens the week after. I think the big thing for me is that we were outstanding in the air. In tough conditions and with the pressure on after last week and knowing that it was Munster’s big entry into the game we were absolutely brilliant. Other things need work but credit to everyone involved for getting the improvement there. The breakdown is one area that needs attention but we have James Ryan and possibly Furlong to come back in and help sort that. Ryan might also help the lineout a bit.

Besides that, we had you talking about how we talking about a poor performance was 'harsh'. You had Ronk talking about how it was 'exactly the performance we wanted', you had plenty of others banging on about 'too much negativity'.

Turned out, it wasn't negativity, just astute analysis that we weren't anywhere near the performance levels needed. That showed today.

I'll take that last phrase as a "you were correct after all OS", I really must get my clock fixed.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I don’t remember anyone saying we were brilliant against Munster and Ulster tbh.

Hmmm...

People don’t seem very happy that we’ve made a Pro14 final and seem more concerned about Saracens the week after. I think the big thing for me is that we were outstanding in the air. In tough conditions and with the pressure on after last week and knowing that it was Munster’s big entry into the game we were absolutely brilliant. Other things need work but credit to everyone involved for getting the improvement there. The breakdown is one area that needs attention but we have James Ryan and possibly Furlong to come back in and help sort that. Ryan might also help the lineout a bit.

Besides that, we had you talking about how we talking about a poor performance was 'harsh'. You had Ronk talking about how it was 'exactly the performance we wanted', you had plenty of others banging on about 'too much negativity'.

Turned out, it wasn't negativity, just astute analysis that we weren't anywhere near the performance levels needed. That showed today.

We were brilliant in the air...not overall.

Tbh the only crowing I’ve seen is from your posts today. You seem determined to let everyone know that you’ve been warning about this for weeks and it’s a bit odd. Seems like that’s the most important thing to you today.

[OTT]

Acknowledging all the stuff we did wrong it was a one score game with a minute to go. I think the people who can’t accept that we are allowed to get beaten by good teams are the ones who are losing the run of themselves.

[wixfjord]

You seem determined to put the boot in against your team, who lost by 5 points against the defending champions after playing really poorly for half the game. Fair enough. But, it's nothing like Munster 09.
Fans didn't think we just had to turn up. We had a bad day at the worst possible time. It hurts to lose against such a shower of total %#@&s but that's life. Nobody believes we're the best side in the world and all that shite.

Is it putting the boot in to properly analyse the many areas we got it wrong today? I don't think so. I think we should coldly analyse that performance.

I mean we can all be fans and take the positives, but the reality we threw this game away. And no, it wasn't 'just the scrum', or the ref that did it for us.

We didn't 'have a bad day', we continued the form we had been showing that many were weirdly unwilling to actually recognise.

[Dave Cahill]

I don't like Clermont very much. I think they are, on a bucks per silverware basis, the worst team in the history of european rugby. At least with Saracens you can see where the money went, if not where it came from.

Now, there's a bit of controversy for yis.

[Blueberry]

I don’t remember anyone saying we were brilliant against Munster and Ulster tbh.

Really?
On here there was loads of crowing about how superior we were, how 'that was the performance we wanted' and not a lot of proper analysis of how we actually didn't play well in either of the three games.

In the media (which many on here seem to think are biased against us for some bizarre reason) we were described as a dynasty, possibly the best side in the world and pretty much anointed champions.

Our real level over the last three games was proven today. We just were 2-3 levels below where we needed to be because we got lulled into a false sense of security.

Yes really. Thought the general vibe was that we were pretty comfortable but never got out of second or third gear and had lots to work on.

Correct , that was the vibe and we didn't get out of third gear......but we didn't have too and then we have to hit fifth gear v a Top Drawer Side. If anyone seriously thinks that Munster or Ulster are even in the same ballpark as a Saracens etc well you are delusional, so how do we judge where we are ?

A talented side but ultimately physically not at the top level, Toulon showed us that, Saracens have showed us that too....you are always going to be up against it when you ain't winning collisions and going backwards in a scrum.

You can't just switch this on and off, Christ week in week out we play dross and mediocre sides in Zebre, Dragons, Ulster, Munster, Edinburgh, Kings etc etc and people myself included then expect perfection against the very best.

It is a credit to our coaches that we have consistently done as well as we have.

Hugely disappointing but if we had to miss a final not a bad year to do it with all the Covid nonsense.

Here is to a big trip next season !!

[wixfjord]

Tbh the only crowing I’ve seen is from your posts today. You seem determined to let everyone know that you’ve been warning about this for weeks and it’s a bit odd. Seems like that’s the most important thing to you today.

Nah man, the most important (and therefore disheartening) thing to me today is that the team I dedicate a disproportionate part of my life and wallet to to lost in a way that's both humiliating and could've been stopped.

Whether I've been warning about this for weeks (and I have) is irrelevant.

[Blueberry]

And sorry we did lose that game because of the scrum....simple.

Arguing anything else is nonsense.....

Parity in the scrum today and we would have won by half a dozen points.

Not everything will go perfectly but the scrum was an utter humiliation and cost us the game.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Tbh the only crowing I’ve seen is from your posts today. You seem determined to let everyone know that you’ve been warning about this for weeks and it’s a bit odd. Seems like that’s the most important thing to you today.

Nah man, the most important (and therefore disheartening) thing to me today is that the team I dedicate a disproportionate part of my life and wallet to to lost in a way that's both humiliating and could've been stopped.

Whether I've been warning about this for weeks (and I have) is irrelevant.

It’s just that it seems extremely relevant to you.

[Dexter]

You seem determined to put the boot in against your team, who lost by 5 points against the defending champions after playing really poorly for half the game. Fair enough. But, it's nothing like Munster 09.
Fans didn't think we just had to turn up. We had a bad day at the worst possible time. It hurts to lose against such a shower of total %#@&s but that's life. Nobody believes we're the best side in the world and all that shite.

Is it putting the boot in to properly analyse the many areas we got it wrong today? I don't think so. I think we should coldly analyse that performance.

I mean we can all be fans and take the positives, but the reality we threw this game away. And no, it wasn't 'just the scrum', or the ref that did it for us.

We didn't 'have a bad day', we continued the form we had been showing that many were weirdly unwilling to actually recognise.

I would define today as a bad day...
And saying this was a Munster 09 moment is hardly "cold analysis"

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Also like how you cut out the other part of my post instead of acknowledging what I said.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

And sorry we did lose that game because of the scrum....simple.

Arguing anything else is nonsense.....

Parity in the scrum today and we would have won by half a dozen points.

Not everything will go perfectly but the scrum was an utter humiliation and cost us the game.

And our poor work in the air, which also led to lots of those scrums.

[wixfjord]

It’s just that it seems extremely relevant to you.

The point of our collective ego is relevant though right? I mean our first 40 clearly shows we got lulled in and believed our own hype. Fans, media, players all play a part in that.